The present invention relates to the field of liquid substances of rain-repellent type intended to be applied to smooth surfaces and which have the role of preventing aqueous liquids from adhering thereto. It is targeted in particular at liquid substances applied to the windscreen of vehicles to prevent rainwater from interfering with vision.
Products with which glass surfaces are mainly treated to prevent water from adhering thereto are known. By rendering them hydrophobic, they prevent the formation of a continuous water film. The water which is propelled onto such a surface collects in the form of droplets. The latter are in an unstable position and are easily carried away due to their weight, if the surface is not horizontal, or due to the air in relative movement with respect to the surface. Thus, these products are of use when they are applied to the windscreen of vehicles. They make it possible to retain good vision through the latter in the event of rain. They are sometimes denoted by the term xe2x80x9crain repellentxe2x80x9d.
A water-repellent composition known from Patent FR 2 782 522 comprises:
a hydrophobic active agent which is a compound of organopolysiloxane type and
a solvent which is an organic compound from the family comprising alcohols, ketones, ethers, acetals and ether alcohols.
A specific active agent is a silicone fluid comprising a reactive amino functional group and in particular an aminoethylaminopropylpolysiloxane. The latter is available commercially under the name SF 1706 from General Electric Silicones.
The solvent is in particular propyl alcohol. These two components are in a proportion of 80 to 99% of solvent per 1 to 20% of hydrophobic agent. A commercial application, sold under the name Protxc3xa8ne 53 by Atochem, comprises a 5% solution of aminoethylaminopropylpoly-siloxane in isopropanol.
The composition optionally comprises small amounts of additives which are usually encountered in rain-repellent products. For example, a perfume essence or a stabilizer can be added.
This composition exhibits all the properties usually required for a rain-repellent liquid: its refractive index is favourable, it is not aggressive with regard to the materials to which it may be applied, its toxicity is low and, finally, it exhibits good stability on storage, in particular in pressurized containers, this being the case over a wide temperature range extending from xe2x88x9255xc2x0 C. to 80xc2x0 C.
As is disclosed in Patent FR 2 782 522, one method of use of this water-repellent composition consists in spraying it in the form of an aerosol. It is packaged for this purpose in a receptacle pressurized with an inert gas, such as nitrogen. For its use, the product is sprayed over the surface to be treated and it is spread with a rag to obtain the rain-repellent effect.
As an alternative embodiment, the patent mentions the possibility of adding this composition to the product used as windscreen washer in motor vehicles. The windscreen washer product is itself predominantly composed of water.
It appears, however, that if more than 10% of water is added to the water-repellent composition, the water-repellent active agent separates from the remainder of the composition. An unusable emulsion is formed. This composition is in fact insoluble in non-alcoholic media.
The present invention is therefore targeted at solving this problem and has as subject-matter a rain-repellent water-repellent composition comprising at least one compound of organopolysiloxane type which can be added to an aqueous liquid without the risk of the formation of an emulsion. An alcohol-comprising aqueous liquid, such as a windscreen washer liquid, is targeted in particular.
This object is achieved with a composition comprising a compound of organopolysiloxane type as hydrophobic active agent and a solvent, characterized in that the composition is used in combination with a solubilizing mixture comprising:
at least one third solvent composed of an ether alcohol,
one nonionic silicone surfactant, such as a dimethylpolysiloxane modified with polyalkylene oxide, and
one cationic surfactant.
A product exhibiting such a composition can be dissolved in water so as to form a preparation comprising more than 50% of water.
In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, the composition is characterized in that the ether alcohol is a propylene-based glycol ether with an ignition point of less than 100xc2x0 C. In particular, it is monopropylene glycol monoethyl ether.
In accordance with another characteristic, the nonionic surface-active agent is a polysiloxane. In particular, it is a dimethylpolysiloxane modified with polyalkylene oxide.
In accordance with another characteristic, the cationic surface-active agent comprises quaternary ammonium. It also comprises cationic imidazoline.
Another subject-matter of the invention is a ready-to-use windscreen washer product comprising an alcohol or a mixture of alcohols with water. This product also comprises a composition according to at least one of the characteristics mentioned above.
In particular, such a windscreen washer product comprises
from 0.01% to 10% of the said third solvent and preferably from 1 to 1.5%
from 0.001% to 3% of the said nonionic surfactant
from 0.005% to 0.5% of the said cationic surfactant
from 0.01% to 1% of the hydrophobic agent
from 1% to 50% of alcohol water, q.s. for 100%.
Another subject-matter of the invention is a process for the preparation of a windscreen washer product as described above, characterized in that the hydrophobic agent is mixed beforehand with the said alcohol or the said mixture of alcohols, the compounds of the said solubilizing mixture are subsequently added separately and the mixture is made up with water. Other agents can optionally be added.